Olympus E-450 vs E-600

The Olympus E-450 and the Olympus E-600 are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively,
in March 2009 and August 2009. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. The E-450 has a resolution of 10 megapixels, whereas the E-600 provides 12.2 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Olympus E-450 and the
Olympus E-600? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Olympus E-450 and the Olympus E-600. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size,
the Olympus E-600 is somewhat larger (3 percent) than the Olympus E-450. Moreover, the E-600 is markedly heavier (22 percent) than the E-450. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the E-450 nor the E-600 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses
that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses.
You can compare the optics available in the Four Thirds Lens Catalog.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, just select a new right or left
comparator from among the camera models in the table. Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and
choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The E-600 was somewhat cheaper (by 10 percent) than the E-450 at launch, but both cameras fall into the same price category. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a Four Thirds sensor and have a format factor
(sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras
that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the E-600 offers a higher
resolution of 12.2 megapixels, compared with 10 MP of the E-450.
This megapixels advantage translates into a 11 percent gain in linear resolution.
On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the E-600 has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel
(with a pixel pitch of 4.29μm versus 4.74μm for the E-450). However, it should be noted that the E-600 is a somewhat more recent model (by 4 months) than the E-450, and its sensor
might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that at least partly compensate for the smaller pixel size.

The Olympus E-450 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 1600.
The corresponding ISO settings for the Olympus E-600 are ISO 100 to ISO 3200 (no boost).

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The Overall DXO ratings for the two cameras under consideration are close, suggesting that they provide similar imaging performance. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Sensor Characteristics

Camera Model

Sensor Class

Resolution (MP)

Horiz. Pixels

Vert. Pixels

Video Format

DXO Portrait

DXO Landscape

DXO Sports

DXO Overall

Camera Model

Olympus E-450

Four Thirds

10.0

3648

2736

none

21.5

10.5

512

56

Olympus E-450

Olympus E-600

Four Thirds

12.2

4032

3024

none

21.5

10.3

541

55

Olympus E-600

Canon G12

1/1.7

10.0

3648

2736

720/24p

20.4

11.2

161

47

Canon G12

Nikon D3000

APS-C

10.0

3872

2592

none

22.3

11.1

563

62

Nikon D3000

Olympus E-PL2

Four Thirds

12.2

4032

3024

720/30p

21.4

10.2

573

55

Olympus E-PL2

Olympus E-620

Four Thirds

12.2

4032

3024

none

21.3

10.3

536

55

Olympus E-620

Olympus E-420

Four Thirds

10.0

3648

2736

none

21.5

10.4

527

56

Olympus E-420

Olympus E-520

Four Thirds

10.0

3648

2736

none

21.4

10.4

548

55

Olympus E-520

Olympus E-410

Four Thirds

10.0

3648

2736

none

21.1

10.0

494

51

Olympus E-410

Olympus E-510

Four Thirds

10.0

3648

2736

none

21.2

10.0

442

52

Olympus E-510

Panasonic G10

Four Thirds

12.0

4000

3000

720/30p

21.2

10.1

411

52

Panasonic G10

Panasonic G2

Four Thirds

12.0

4000

3000

720/30p

21.2

10.3

493

53

Panasonic G2

Both the E-450 and the E-600 offer Live View, so that they make it possible to use the rear screen for framing.
Both cameras are still-image focused and cannot record videos.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The E-450 and the E-600 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder.
The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (95%), but
the viewfinder of the E-600 has a higher magnification than the one of the E-450 (0.48x vs 0.46x),
so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Olympus E-450 and Olympus E-600 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

Camera Model

Viewfinder (Type or '000 dots)

Control Panel (yes/no)

LCD Size (inch)

LCD Resolution ('000 dots)

LCD Attach- ment

Touch Screen (yes/no)

Mech Shutter Speed

Shutter Flaps (1/sec)

Built-in Flash (yes/no)

Built-in Image Stab

Camera Model

Olympus E-450

optical

n

2.7

215

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.5

Y

n

Olympus E-450

Olympus E-600

optical

n

2.7

230

swivel

n

1/4000s

4.0

Y

Y

Olympus E-600

Canon G12

optical

n

2.8

461

swivel

n

1/4000s

1.1

Y

Y

Canon G12

Nikon D3000

optical

n

3.0

230

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

n

Nikon D3000

Olympus E-PL2

optional

n

3.0

460

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

Y

Olympus E-PL2

Olympus E-620

optical

n

2.7

230

swivel

n

1/4000s

4.0

Y

Y

Olympus E-620

Olympus E-420

optical

n

2.7

215

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.5

Y

n

Olympus E-420

Olympus E-520

optical

n

2.7

215

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.5

Y

Y

Olympus E-520

Olympus E-410

optical

n

2.5

215

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

n

Olympus E-410

Olympus E-510

optical

n

2.5

215

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

Y

Olympus E-510

Panasonic G10

202

n

3.0

460

fixed

n

1/4000s

2.6

Y

n

Panasonic G10

Panasonic G2

1440

n

3.0

460

swivel

Y

1/4000s

2.6

Y

n

Panasonic G2

One feature that differentiates the E-600 and the E-450 is in-body image stabilization (IBIS).
The E-600 reduces the risk of handshake-induced blur with all attached lenses, while the E-450 has to rely on optical image stabilization
in OIS-equipped lenses to achieve the same effect.

The E-600 has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing. This characteristic will be appreciated by
vloggers and photographers who are interested in taking selfies. In contrast, the E-450 does not have a selfie-screen.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the E-450 and the E-600 write their files to Compact Flash or xD Picture cards. Both cameras feature dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Olympus E-450 and Olympus E-600 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

Camera Model

Hotshoe Port

Internal Microphone

Internal Speaker

Microphone Port

Headphone Port

HDMI Port

USB Port

WiFi Support

NFC Support

Bluetooth Support

Camera Model

Olympus E-450

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-450

Olympus E-600

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-600

Canon G12

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon G12

Nikon D3000

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Nikon D3000

Olympus E-PL2

Y

stereo

none

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-PL2

Olympus E-620

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-620

Olympus E-420

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-420

Olympus E-520

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-520

Olympus E-410

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-410

Olympus E-510

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-510

Panasonic G10

Y

mono

none

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Panasonic G10

Panasonic G2

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Panasonic G2

Both the E-450 and the E-600 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used
on eBay. Neither of the two has a direct successor, so they represent the end of the respective camera lines from Olympus. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official Olympus website.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Is there a clear favorite between the Olympus E-450 and the Olympus E-600? Which camera is better? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Reasons to prefer the Olympus E-450:

Less heavy: Is lighter (by 95g or 18 percent) and hence easier to carry around.

More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in March 2009).

Advantages of the Olympus E-600:

More detail: Has more megapixels (12.2 vs 10MP), which boosts linear resolution by 11%.

Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.48x vs 0.46x).

More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.

More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.

Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.

More modern: Was introduced somewhat (4 months) more recently.

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the E-600 is the clear winner of the contest (7 : 2 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges
from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera
is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

E-450 02:07 E-600

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Olympus E-450 and the Olympus E-600 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest
Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the E-450 and the E-600 in practical situations. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.

Expert reviews

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, and photographyblog). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge,
reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just use the search menu below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.